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Highlands Today

The Cars Are The Stars At HSR

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

The Sebring Historic Fall Classic returns to Sebring International Raceway today and runs through Sunday's HSR Four Hours of Sebring.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: December 5, 2008

SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY - The campers are ready to file in and take their place along one of the turns and the engines of cars past have awoken the historic track from its summer slumber.

A time machine of sight and sound is exactly what the Historic Sportscar Racing series (HSR) has to offer and that instinctively sets the mind racing for the thrill of seeing the history of motorsports right before their eyes.

Today marks the return of the Historic Fall Classic to the Sebring International Raceway, where fans will get a chance to be up close and personal with vintage cars that once turned laps at the famed track.

The Sebring Historic Fall Classic begins its fifth year today at Sebring International Raceway with a full slate of practice and qualifying sessions and a pair of 45-minute Night Enduro that culminates in the HSR 4 Hours of Sebring on Sunday in the season finale.

HSR Course Director Ken Fengler expects great weather and has been surprised with the economic times that the fences have been lined with fans waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite car.

"Unlike our event in March at Sebring, we're not competing with the 12 Hours of Sebring," Fengler said. "The Fall Classic is in a unique position because there is no other racing going on right now. NASCAR has crowned its champion and American Le Mans Series is also done for the year, but fans still want more.

"I've been receiving numerous calls about the Classic and I hope that draws fans to the beauty of our racing series."

Building A Fan Base

HSR has built a reputation where the cars are the stars and where spectators are treated to a very unique racing experience that very few series can offer.

"We've tried to give the fans an open feeling where fans can view the cars and talk to the drivers," Fengler said. "You never know who you're going to run into when it comes to vintage racing. Years ago, the late Paul Newman could be seen talking with fans and posing for pictures with his cars."

The whole feeling of the event revolves around recapturing an era of motorsports when the cars were simple and the drivers were visible. In today's modern racing, drivers are high on a pedestal and as approachable as getting a tee time with Tiger Woods.

Years ago, drivers worked day jobs to save enough money to put into their cars to race on the weekends, while today it's all about the corporate dollar and endorsements.

And with modern racing growing even more dependent on technology and the fans are kept at a distance, the appeal of historic racing can only increase.

"We've tried to give the fans what they want in our series," Fengler said. "We offer a wider variety of cars. But the fans will always love big, loud and fast cars. Our demographics are always changing and we're always updating our cars to give the fans what they crave."

HSR events represent fast-paced, wheel-to-wheel racing. To keep competition close, cars are generally grouped according to type and engine size for racing.

The event features several separate series, which range from the heart-pumping GTP/Group C Series featuring GTP prototypes to the ROLEX Endurance Challenge, which includes historic GT Porsche and Jaguars.

Here's your chance to see a car like Bobby Rahal's Porsche 962 battle against a Geoff Brabham's Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo that harkens back to the historic battles of these great machines back in the eighties.

Economic Crunch

With the economic meltdown being felt in every area of industry, the racing community isn't immune to the same troubles facing the American people.

HSR has seen a drop in racing entries this season, but Fengler says that his "core" group of drivers has stuck by the series by making cuts when necessary to get out on the track.

"Our core racers have followed us all over the country this year and continue to help us put a solid product on the track," Fengler said. "We've had a really busy year considering the economy, but we're still feeling the crunch.

"When you read how NASCAR is feeling the effects of the economy, it can't help but trickle down."

When gas prices were sky high over the summer, many drivers decided against traveling to the west coast events to save money and many teams that were going to add a second car this season have shelved those ideas for the time being.

"But our point chasers are not going anywhere," Fengler said. "It's amazing to see the dedication from these drivers and that means good racing for our fans."

Coming of Age

As a result of the continued growth of motorsports in America, historic racing is coming of age. Major HSR events attract 300-plus entrants and up to 40,000 spectators, but Fengler still feels there is room for more.

"It's always fun to hear from new fans who've just witnessed one of our races for the first time," Fengler said. "They come out and see the cars that they watched as kids and bring their own kids to enjoy.

"I really feel we're only hitting the tip of the iceberg as far as vintage racing and we're always coming up with new ways to enhance the fans experience and hopefully they'll be fans for life."

Tickets to the Historic Fall Classic, which runs through Sunday, are available at the SIR box office.

Visit www.hsrrace.com for the latest schedule and series information.

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5837 or choffman@highlandstoday.com

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